PBS高端访谈:生源扩大 美国高考平均分下降

 　　GWEN IFILL: Next, two education stories.

　　The first is about whether students are ready for college and what the SATs tell us.

　　Ray Suarez has that.

　　RAY SUAREZ: The latest scores are out for the high school class of 2012, the new freshmen¹ starting work at colleges across the country. And the news is not good. The College Board, which oversees² the SAT, reports that 57 percent of seniors do not seem ready for college based on their test scores.

　　The board also reported that reading scores have fallen to their lowest point in four decades. Out of a perfect score of 800 in each category, the mean reading score fell slightly to 491, writing dropped by a point to 481, and math dropped one point to 505.

　　Since 2008, reading and writing scores have dipped, while math has remained stable. What do these scores tell us about students' readiness?

　　We get two views. Jim Montoya is a vice⁴ president of the College Board. He is a former dean of admissions for Stanford University.

　　And Roger Thompson is the vice provost for enrollment⁵ management at the University of Oregon. The state system has more than 24,000 students; 20,000 of them are undergraduates.

　　And, Jim Montoya, if, as the College Board maintains, SAT measures the skills needed for college success, what do some of the lowest scores in 40 years lead you to conclude?

　　JIM MONTOYA, College Board: Well, what we are to conclude is that students need to take more rigorous courses in high school.

　　We have to have higher expectations of our students.

　　What we know is this, that of those students who complete a core curriculum, four years of English, at least three years of mathematics, at least three years of science, and at least three years of social science, compared to those who students who didn't complete a core curriculum, those students completing a core curriculum scored 144 points higher on the SAT.

　　RAY SUAREZ: What do we know about the predictive value of the test itself?

　　You have a threshold for college readiness. If you go into an institution of higher learning without reaching that threshold, are you automatically going to fail, not complete? What do we know?

　　JIM MONTOYA: Absolutely not. That threshold is a guide. It allows us to look at groups of students.

　　What we know is that the group of students who meet the threshold have a 65 percent likelihood of achieving a B-minus GPA or higher during their freshman⁷ year.

　　Obviously, there are other factors that admission officers take into consideration. But it does help guide us in thinking about where we are and the need to have more students better prepared for college.

　　Currently, of 100 ninth graders, 44 will go on to college. And yet only 21 will graduate within a six-year period. This is highly problematic.

　　RAY SUAREZ: Roger Thompson, are you seeing those low scores writ³ large in your applicant⁸ pool and your entering classes?

　　ROGER THOMPSON, University of Oregon: Well, we're certainly seeing more students take the SAT.

　　And I think that's one of the things that we need to think about when we consider how scores are changing over time.

　　If you look at the test scores, we have got far more students participating than we did 20 years ago. And that creates sort of a two sides to the same coin.

　　With more students participating, naturally, we're going to have more students who are not college-bound taking the SAT. And in one sense, that drives the score a little bit lower. On the other hand, we are seeing some challenges, particularly in math and science.

　　You cited the changes that we have begun to see in the verbal and reading. And all of that leads me to be concerned as an administrator⁹ about the preparation that's happening in our K-12 school systems around the country.

　　RAY SUAREZ: Well, what kind of feedback are you getting from your instructors¹⁰ who teach freshmen? Are they not as prepared as they ought to be?

　　ROGER THOMPSON: Well, I think we're fortunate at the University of Oregon in that we see more prepared students than maybe some others in the higher education marketplace.

　　But what our faculty¹¹ are indicating is that our students are doing well, but mathematics continues to be a stumbling point for a lot of students, not just at the University of Oregon, but across the country.

　　And we just had our high school advisory¹² board in last week. This is made up of principals from around the country.

　　And one of the things that we focused on was how do we create reasonable rigor⁶ in high schools, so that a student is taking a curriculum that challenges them, yet also prepares them for college and leads them to a higher success rate when they get here?

　　RAY SUAREZ: Jim Montoya, the class of 2012 has grown up, almost their entire K-12 careers, under the new standards of No Child Left Behind. They have been tested an awful lot. How come that hasn't prepared them to do better on the SAT?

　　JIM MONTOYA: Well, again the focus has to be on the rigor of the curriculum, as Roger points out.

　　I think we have to hold our students to a higher standard. I think we have to make absolutely certain that students are just not taking the minimum core curriculum, but are taking honors courses, taking advanced placement courses, courses that will better prepare them for the rigor that they will face once in college.

　　RAY SUAREZ: And, Roger Thompson, same question.

　　Has No Child Left Behind and more consistent standardized¹³ testing created a pool of students that should be no strangers to sitting down for a long, demanding test?

　　ROGER THOMPSON: Yes, I really agree with your comment.

　　I think, if we look at this generation, they have grown up as the most tested, probed and analyzed¹⁴ group probably in a long time.

　　And so I think it's not about test anxiety. That was something we heard years ago. I don't think that's as big an issue now.

　　When I think about what helps a student succeed, I think of three things, always. And that's academic preparation, social integration¹⁵, and financial.

　　And if we were to look at our college students entering today, I think two of those three are really problematic. You know, academically, we have a lot of school districts not just in our state, but across the country, that are really cutting back on some of their course offerings.

　　The economy has led schools to consider things that I don't think they would have considered 15 or 20 years ago.

　　And then, when you combine that with the financial challenges that families face, the first place a family turns many times to support their child's education is their home with home equity¹⁶ loans.

　　Well, home values are down. And so, I think there's a lot of things that are stressing our students and our families. And those are factors. And academic preparation is one big factor that can prevent success.

　　RAY SUAREZ: Quickly, Jim Montoya, before we go, respond to Roger Thompson's point about family finances and the downward pressure that might put on scores.

　　JIM MONTOYA: Well, there is no question that, as families look to the cost of college, certainly, they worry about how they're going to pay for it.

　　But I go back to the important point of -- that Roger made in regards to academic preparation. More of our students need to be enrolled¹⁷ in rigorous courses that will prepare them for the challenges they will face in college.

　　RAY SUAREZ: Jim Montoya, Roger Thompson, gentlemen, thank you both.

　　JIM MONTOYA: Thank you.

　　ROGER THOMPSON: Thank you.

1 freshmen   

n.（中学或大学的）一年级学生( freshman的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We are freshmen and they are sophomores. 我们是一年级学生，他们是二年级学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• University freshmen get lots of razzing, but they like the initiation. 大一新生受各种嘲弄，但是他们对这种入门经验甘之如饴。 来自辞典例句

2 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

3 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

6 rigor   

n.严酷，严格，严厉

参考例句：

• Their analysis lacks rigor.他们的分析缺乏严谨性。||The crime will be treated with the full rigor of the law.这一罪行会严格依法审理。

7 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

8 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

9 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

10 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

11 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

12 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

13 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

14 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

16 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

17 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》